Nghe An Urgently Launches Action Plan for Peak Month Against IUU Fishing

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In particular, the Provincial Party Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 71-CV/TU on October 20, 2025, while the Provincial People’s Committee promulgated Directive No. 11460/UBND-NN on October 24, 2025, and Plan No. 902/KH-UBND on October 27, 2025. These documents mobilize the entire political system to participate actively in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Nghe An requires all fishing vessels with a length of 15 meters or more to install and maintain connection to the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) in accordance with regulations. (Photo: Bui Anh)

The Party Committee and People’s Committee of Nghe An have required all departments, sectors, and localities to concentrate resources and rigorously implement measures to combat IUU fishing, ensuring timely completion and specific deliverables in line with the directives of the Secretariat, the Government, and the Prime Minister. Under Directive No. 32-CT/TW dated April 10, 2024, the Secretariat has ordered strict handling, according to Party and legal regulations, of any Party organizations, local authorities, units, or individuals failing to properly perform assigned duties or showing no improvement in the fight against IUU fishing.

According to statistics, Nghe An Province currently has 2,635 registered fishing vessels, reaching a rate of 100%, and all data have been fully updated to the national fisheries database system (Vnfishbase). Inspections show that all eligible vessels have been marked and numbered as required under Circular No. 23/2018/TT-BNNPTNT. The province has imposed administrative penalties on 164 cases of fisheries-related violations, with total fines amounting to VND 3.244 billion.

Of note, 73 cases were fined for losing connection to their Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) while operating at sea, with total penalties reaching VND 2.74 billion. In addition, two captains had their captain’s certificates revoked for allowing loss of VMS connection, and one captain was stripped of his certificate for fishing beyond the permitted maritime boundaries.

Alongside enforcement, Nghe An has intensified communication efforts to raise fishermen’s awareness of fisheries laws and regulations. Public outreach campaigns are regularly carried out at fishing ports and landing sites through loudspeakers, leaflets, and training sessions, as well as direct dialogues between competent authorities and fishermen.

Furthermore, the province is focusing on solutions such as: strengthening control systems for vessel entry and exit at ports; verifying the origin of aquatic products at designated fishing ports; enhancing inter-agency cooperation in marine patrols and inspections; frequently updating the list of vessels ineligible for operation; and assigning specific responsibilities to local authorities and enforcement agencies to ensure such vessels do not engage in fishing activities. The province is also coordinating with the provincial police to identify vessel owners whose registration has been canceled due to reports of missing, exported, sold, or transferred vessels.

Notably, the Communication Program for a Sustainable Fishery, jointly organized by the Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Provincial Border Guard Command, took place in Quynh Phu Commune and Quynh Mai Ward in early November. The program aimed to raise awareness among fishermen, particularly boat owners, captains, and residents of coastal communes, about strict compliance with laws and regulations on marine fishing and exploitation, preventing violations in foreign waters, contributing to the removal of the European Commission’s “yellow card,” and firmly safeguarding Vietnam’s maritime sovereignty.

Performances in the program helped promote public awareness on combating IUU fishing among local fishermen. (Photo: chicucthuysannghean.gov.vn)

Through a dramatized communication approach, the organizers integrated educational messages to encourage fishermen, boat owners, and captains to strictly comply with the Party’s guidelines, the State’s laws, and relevant legal documents, especially the 2017 Fisheries Law; Decree No. 26/2019/NĐ-CP dated March 8, 2019, detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Fisheries Law; and other legal regulations related to combating IUU fishing.

In addition, the program mobilized owners of seafood exploitation, processing, and trading establishments, as well as captains and vessel operators, to commit to fishing, producing, and trading aquatic resources in accordance with the law. Fishermen were encouraged to venture offshore while avoiding violations of foreign waters, to practice sustainable fishing associated with marine resource protection, to operate in groups at sea for mutual assistance when needed, and to avoid approaching foreign-controlled or illegally occupied features in the Hoang Sa (Paracel), Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, and other overlapping maritime zones pending delimitation.

The program also emphasized maintaining regular communication with competent authorities for timely assistance; guiding boat owners and captains to use the online declaration system for port entry and exit procedures through border control stations linked to the national population database; and condemning illegal practices such as the use of banned substances, fishing in prohibited areas, disputes over fishing grounds, and especially violations of IUU fishing regulations.

The organizing committee of the “Communication Program for a Sustainable Fishery” presented 2,000 national flags and distributed 2,000 legal awareness leaflets to boat owners, captains, and fishermen participating in the event, thereby fostering legal compliance and patriotic spirit among the fishing community. (Photo: chicucthuysannghean.gov.vn)

The communication program also introduced the province’s tasks in combating IUU fishing, analyzed existing shortcomings and their causes, proposed specific solutions, and set future directions. It underscored the action message: “Removing the yellow card is not only the responsibility of the State but also the honor of Vietnamese fishermen.”

With resolute and synchronized measures, and the active participation of authorities at all levels as well as the fishing community, Nghe An is demonstrating strong determination to bring marine fishing activities into a disciplined, lawful, responsible, and sustainable framework, striving to help the nation lift the European Commission’s “yellow card” at the earliest possible time.

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